04/03Result
1st T20I (N), Australia tour of South Africa at Durban, Mar 4 2016
South Africa won by 3 wkts (4b rem)
Player of the Match
David Miller
David MillerSouth Africa
04/03Result
1st T20I (N), Australia tour of South Africa at Durban, Mar 4 2016
South Africa won by 3 wkts (4b rem)
Player of the Match
David Miller
David MillerSouth Africa

9.25pm: It was Clinical Miller in the end, a superbly judged innings to get South Africa home. Faf du Plessis' side are on a roll in the shortest format, this their fifth win in a row, and they look to be warming up nicely for the World T20. Australia, well, they made a bit of a pavlova of this one, sweet and tasty up front but soft in the middle; this is also their fifth straight T20 defeat, leaving Steven Smith with some thinking to do. Anyway, that's your lot, unfortunately, as we're not getting the presentations. David Miller was my Man of the Match, which is really all that matters... We'll be back for more on Sunday, until then it's toodles from Gnasher and me. Thanks for your comments. Ta ra!

Here's Tiaan, letting off steam: "yyyyyyyyeeeeeeessssss! The last 3 out of 4 Friday nights has shortened my life WELL DONE PROTEAS!!! THE PROTEA FIRE BUUURRRRNS!!!"

And Steven Scott brings us the view from the other side: "As an Aussie, I am relieved we don't have to play the qualifying round for world t20. That is how bad we are right now."

"How does this work? Aus got AB for a diamond duck, QDK out for a low score, 2 bizarre runout both involving Miller, and yet SA won." It truly is a funny old game, Satya...

19.2
4
Tye to Abbott, FOUR, or not! Abbott slugs it straight back down the ground to seal victory! A solid tailender's whack and South Africa win by three wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series

Wicket makes it interesting?

"Itching for a super over now :P," hoots kuber

19.1
1
Tye to Miller, 1 run, round the wicket, full on the stumps, Miller punches through the covers again... hesitated before taking the single

Andrew Tye will bowl out, Australia have to defend five. Where's your hard-earned?

END OF OVER:
19 | 5 Runs | SA: 153/7 (5 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.05, RRR: 5.00)

  • David Miller52 (34b)
  • Kyle Abbott2 (3b)
  • Adam Zampa4-0-26-0
  • John Hastings4-0-29-0
18.6
1
Zampa to Miller, 1 run, full on the stumps and Miller drives one through the covers to keep the strike for the final over

But will it be the match-winner? Not quite no more distance left to run for SA...

18.5
2
Zampa to Miller, 2 runs, tossed up full on leg stump, Miller advances and whips the ball wide of long-on - another good stop on the rope prevents four but Miller will chalk up his first fifty in T20 internationals, a fine knock
18.4
1
Zampa to Abbott, 1 run, short from Zampa, width to swing the arms and slap one to deep point - 150 up for SA, closing in
18.3
0
Zampa to Abbott, no run, pushed through outside off, Abbott drops back and steers it straight to backward point
18.2
1
Zampa to Miller, 1 run, goes back in the crease and clips one through square leg

"Be smart, guys. Just singles to win it!" murmurs Neville Smeda, from behind the couch

18.1
0
Zampa to Miller, no run, tossed up nice and full, punched back to the bowler

Has Miller sealed the chase? Adam Zampa back on for the penultimate over, 10 needed from 12

END OF OVER:
18 | 13 Runs | SA: 148/7 (10 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.22, RRR: 5.00)

  • David Miller48 (30b)
  • Kyle Abbott1 (1b)
  • John Hastings4-0-29-0
  • Nathan Coulter-Nile4-0-29-3
17.6
1
Hastings to Miller, 1 run, full, slower ball, dug out down the ground
17.5
6
Hastings to Miller, SIX, that's gone! Fully over the stand at deep square leg this time! Miller adjusts his range and attaches a rocket to a full, leg-stump ball from Hastings, sends it fizzing beyond the rope, beyond the stadium, possibly beyond the city limits... and yet it's still only worth six
17.4
0
Hastings to Miller, no run, dug into the pitch, cutting his fingers over it, Miller swings and misses outside off
17.3
1
Hastings to Abbott, 1 run, good length on the stumps, Abbott stands back and prods it to Hastings' right, he can't quite get down and they scamper one

Can Abbott nick a single to get off strike? It's a perversity of this SA line-up that they bat deep and have quite a long tail

17.2
1
Hastings to Miller, 1 run, short of a length, swivels on a pull to deep backward square
17.1
4
Hastings to Miller, FOUR, brilliant shot, lashed through the covers in front of the sweeper for four! He picked the slower ball and threw his hands through the shot

John Hastings back, three overs to go

END OF OVER:
17 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | SA: 135/7 (23 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.94, RRR: 7.66)

  • David Miller36 (25b)
  • Kyle Abbott0 (0b)
  • Nathan Coulter-Nile4-0-29-3
  • Andrew Tye3-0-35-1

"@Gautam: Will you reconsider what you said earlier about the 'C' word ??" enquires Vasanth, innocently

16.6
1
Coulter-Nile to Miller, 1 run, angled in from round the wicket, worked into a gap at midwicket, Miller will keep the strike

Kyle Abbott toddles out, another twist in the plot

16.5
W
Coulter-Nile to Morris, OUT, slogged over extra cover, not got all of it - gottim, brilliant from Finch! Superb work, running across from mid-off, he barreled to his left and took it at full stretch, tumbling over before sitting up, looking like a pleased teddy bear. Morris just needed to hang around with Miller but he's holed out, the finisher finished

CH Morris c Finch b Coulter-Nile 8 (19m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 88.88

16.4
1
Coulter-Nile to Miller, 1 run, short ball, possible taking the pace off, Miller adjusts to swat it away through midwicket
16.3
0
Coulter-Nile to Miller, no run, fired in on the stumps, can't get it away through midwicket
16.3
1w
Coulter-Nile to Miller, 1 wide, fired full and wide as Miller set himself to hit over cover - just outside the tramlines
16.2
2
Coulter-Nile to Miller, 2 runs, miscued but safe! Coulter-Nile bowls a cute cutter and Miller sends a top edge spiralling behind square on the leg side... between two fielders, though, and they get a couple more

Match Coverage

All Match News

Bad Run

5

No. of consecutive defeats for Australia in T20Is - their joint-most in T20Is. They had three more sequences of five losses in a row: 2009, 2010-11 and 2012-13.

Killer Miller

47

Previous highest score for David Miller in T20Is. He has gone past that and also brought up his maiden T20I fifty.

Duck after a long time

2010

Last time AB de Villiers was out for a duck in T20Is, before today. He had four ducks in his first 30 T20I innings and none in the next 32 innings before this.

A Collapse

69

Runs scored by Australia in the Powerplays, losing only one wicket. In the next 14 overs, they made just 88 runs at 6.28 an over and lost eight wickets.

New role

0

No. of times David Warner batted at some other position other than as an opener in T20Is, before this match in 54 innings. He is batting at No.3 in this game.

Frequent face-offs

15

No. of T20Is between Aus and SA - joint-most between two teams in T20Is. Two other pair of teams have played 15 matches: SL-NZ and SL-Pak.